Page 14 of Eliza's Cursed Dragon

I missed other people, missed listening to laughter and voices, even if I wasn’t allowed to speak I would have enjoyed the company of others.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the creature from hell before it was nearly on me. With a scream I jumped back, hoping and praying the scream wouldn’t count as speaking, worrying I had just broken my vow, but even as those foolish thoughts ran through me, I realized I had bigger worries.

The thing creeping up on me was utterly terrifying. Sharp claws protruded from skeletal fingers, neon-orange eyes glowed from inside dark, hollowed eye sockets. The creature was hunched over, hissing through pointed teeth.

It readied itself to jump at me again, but suddenly loud flapping wings sounded out and a white form threw itself against the creature. Feet out, beak pecking, the beast recoiled but recovered quickly.

I wanted to yell at Caspian to get back, but then Richard appeared and Philip. Pecking at the nightmarish thing just like they had done to the man who had tried to rob us. Only the creature didn’t appear to be scared. It lifted its clawed hands and swiped it through the air, right at George, who was just about to land on the creature’s back to peck at its head.

George made it back into the air, but Caspian suddenly screeched in pain and was in the grip of another monster that looked like the first, but different.

There were more of them!

Red appeared on Caspian’s white feathers and I cried out. I would have screamed, No, no, let him be, but thankfully due to disuse my voice didn’t allow me to utter a word. Otherwise, the last three years would have been for nothing.

Still, my heart cried for my brother as more of these despicable creatures crawled out from behind headstones, graves, the trees. They poured from crypts and from behind rocks. A seemingly never-ending wave of them.

I didn’t know what to do. My mind screamed at me to run, but watching my brothers fight them so valiantly gave me courage, and I flung my new bag against the closest one, catching him off balance.

Deep down, I knew this fight was lost. There were so many of them compared to us.

Suddenly a loud swooping sound pushed air against my ear canal, as if I was diving underwater. The pressure rose, and the creatures and my brothers began to tumble in what looked to be a mini storm.

Fire rained down, hitting one of the beasts, turning it to ash in the blink of an eye, then another. I fought to keep upright, had to lean into the wind that had seemingly come from out of nowhere.

A mighty roar, reminiscent of what I had heard just before the steeple caved in, made me look up and what I saw, buckled my knees.

A dragon!

A large, deep green dragon.

His oversized wings flapped—the source of the wind—keeping him nearly still, hovering only a few feet above the ground. His head moved left and right, spewing flames so hot, they appeared more white than yellow, incinerating the terrifying creatures one at a time.

Even in my anxious state I noticed how well aimed the licks of flames were, only directed at the creatures, careful to avoid my brothers and me.

My brothers!

Caspian!

Regaining the use of my legs, I rose on them shakingly and made my way over to where Caspian lay on his side, bright red stains prominent on his white feathers.

My mind screamed, Oh no! Nonono, as I fell to my knees next to him, lifting him into my arms. His long neck hung lifeless to the side. My brother, my beautiful brother.

William and Richard joined me, then Philip and George. The others followed, mostly unhurt, but some sprinkled with blood. None of them were in bad shape though, not like Caspian.

Shakily I pressed my ear to Caspian’s body, where I heard a faint beat of his heart. Caspian, my mind cried, please hold on.

I was so absorbed in worry over my brother, that I didn’t notice that all the ghastly creatures were gone.

The dragon had landed on his legs, hands or paws or whatever it was that sat midway up his wings, pushed into the ground, his wings folded up, his head lowered, and he regarded my brothers and me through deep green eyes that looked more human than should have been possible, reminding me of my brothers. Was he a cursed creature as well?

Not knowing what to do, I held out my unconscious brother in my arms to him. My heart about stopped when the dragon carefully bumped his nose against Caspian’s feathered body. He seemed to sniff him before he lifted his head and our eyes met.

My heart skipped a beat. Edward. For some reason the man from the minimarket popped into my head. He had never been far from my mind ever since we met. Still, why would I think of him now? Only that… his eyes had been as green as the dragon’s.

Was that possible?

Anything is possible, I thought, looking at my brothers.

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